La Paz, Bolivia

Squeezing onto a bus seemingly designed for midgets, and a problem for anyone with a urinary system (no toilets for 9 hours), we set off on our early morning journey to La Paz. Lots and fun and games at Peruvian border control, as they didn't like the fact that our entry stamps were too feint and our dollars weren't crisp enough - we had to pay border tax as we had left our Peru immigration cards on the bus, which had helpfully crossed over into Bolivia without us taking any chance of getting to our documents and Milky Ways with it. The bus took a route along the banks of Lake Titikaka and the crammed conditions were compensated with spectacular views throughout. After a change of Bus in Copacabana, where we sat for an hour watching a monkey dangle from a string, we crossed the lake by small boats whilst the bus was floated across on a plank of wood. Have no idea how it didn't sink with Victoria's backpack on board; good job that Pringles come in a buoyant tube, otherwise we could have been in serious trouble.

Overlooking La Paz from the bus window we could see the thousands of run down houses that tumble down the mountains towards the more built up centre. La Paz is the highest capital in the world and one of the most fire resistant, given the fact that it has one third less oxygen in the air than at sea level. It is also very Victoria and Tom resistant - we tried to take a video of the unique crapness of the city, which makes Croydon seem like the Hanging Gardens of Babylon in comparison. The good thing about La Paz is it's useful to get elsewhere from. Will upload more photos and the video once we get to the salt flats of Uyuni and to an internet connection that isn't powered by chip fat.